Survey: Feds Unprepared for Data Deluge

Survey: Feds Unprepared for Data Deluge

A technological era marked by a tidal wave of data may be on its way, but according to a new report, the U.S. public sector is unprepared to deal with the projected influx of data. 


The report, released by data management company Splunk on Tuesday, reinforces the fact that the public sector lags private industry not only in adopting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and edge computing but also in readiness for what the report calls the “Data Age.” 


Fewer than 25% of public sector respondents surveyed are aware that the volume of data they will collect and manage may grow by a factor of 3.5 in the coming years, according to the report, and close to 90% said they aren’t prepared for rapid growth. 


“I think the anxiety may come from the people who see the wave coming, and they don’t have a model for how to deal with it,” a chief information officer from the U.S. public sector said. The CIO is quoted anonymously in the report, which is based on a survey of 2,259 IT and business managers. More than 500 of the respondents are based in the U.S. 


One of the main challenges agencies will need to overcome in a data age is figuring out how to integrate data from multiple sources and manage increased volume in the face of strained resources, according to the report. That means more guidelines and clear frameworks for how to take advantage of available data are needed, Mike Saliter, the vice president for industries and specializations at Splunk, said. 


Saliter told Nextgov he believes agencies need more guidance from lawmakers regarding standards for best practice ..

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